Powerful new visual from Run Jewels featuring Rage Against The Machine’s Zack De La Rocha. Directed by A.G. Rojas, the video depicts a battle between two exhausted men, a police officer and an unarmed black man. As a little background for the video, Rojas had this to write:

“When Run the Jewels sent me this, I knew we had the opportunity to create a film that means something. I felt a sense of responsibility to do just that. We had to exploit the lyrics and aggression and emotion of the track, and translate that into a film that would ignite a valuable and productive conversation about racially motivated violence in this country. It’s provocative, and we all knew this, so we were tasked with making something that expressed the intensity of senseless violence without eclipsing our humanity. For me, it was important to write a story that didn’t paint a simplistic portrait of the characters of the Cop and Kid. They’re not stereotypes. They’re people—complex, real people and, as such, the power had to shift between them at certain points throughout the story. The film begins and it feels like they have been fighting for days, they’re exhausted, not a single punch is thrown, their violence is communicated through clumsy, raw emotion. They’ve already fought their way past their judgments and learned hatred toward one another. Our goal was to highlight the futility of the violence, not celebrate it.

I am really proud of where we ended up, and I am very thankful that our actors Shea Whigham and Keith Stanfield committed to these characters 100%. They breathed complex life into two people who are usually portrayed in simplistic ways—as archetypes. I can tell you it was an emotional shoot day. It is tough to re-create moments that are so fresh and prevalent in our world today. It affected all of us in deep ways. But I believe that it is important that the way we feel when we see these events in real life has an effect on us. That we resonate with what we know to be right and we don’t numb ourselves out so those feelings can simply be swept away, we must confront them and take some action, however small, or we’ll be stuck in the same cycle of violence and hate.”

In 1996 during the height of the East Coast vs. West Coast rivalry, two of Hip-Hop’s biggest names both released records containing songs using Linda Clifford’s “Never Gonna Stop Loving You.” In February of that year, 2pac delivered his magnum opus double-album, All Eyez On Me. While the title track was never released as a single, the song was still a fan favorite. Four months later, Nas dropped his sophomore classic, It Was Written, in July. The song, “Street Dreams” was the second single from the album , following his smash hit, “If I ruled the World.” The song and the accompanying music video were a hit as well and the single earned Nas a certified gold record.

]]>http://www.boxcarflow.com/jackin4beats-2pac-x-nas/feed/0Vince Staples – “Nate” (video)http://www.boxcarflow.com/vince-staples-nate-video/
http://www.boxcarflow.com/vince-staples-nate-video/#commentsTue, 25 Mar 2014 18:36:12 +0000Schmidtyhttp://www.boxcarflow.com/?p=5177Frequent Odd Future collaborator, Vince Staples, takes you back-in-the-day in his latest visual for “Nate.” This track can be found on his mixtape, Shyne Coldchain II, which was just released last week. Hope y’all are . . .

]]>Frequent Odd Future collaborator, Vince Staples, takes you back-in-the-day in his latest visual for “Nate.” This track can be found on his mixtape, Shyne Coldchain II, which was just released last week. Hope y’all are feeling this one. Nice work, Vinnie.

]]>http://www.boxcarflow.com/vince-staples-nate-video/feed/0“Home” – Jake One feat. Vitamin D, Note, Maneak and Ish (Video)http://www.boxcarflow.com/home-jake-one-feat-vitamin-d-note-maneak-and-ish/
http://www.boxcarflow.com/home-jake-one-feat-vitamin-d-note-maneak-and-ish/#commentsThu, 11 Jul 2013 20:03:13 +0000Schmidtyhttp://www.boxcarflow.com/?p=5158It’s all-to-the-good right here on this sentimental ode to Seattle, WA. I didn’t even know a video for this song existed until today. From producer Jake One’s under-rated White Van Music released back in 2009 . . .

]]>It’s all-to-the-good right here on this sentimental ode to Seattle, WA. I didn’t even know a video for this song existed until today. From producer Jake One’s under-rated White Van Music released back in 2009 on Rhymesayers, here’s a dope video for the single “Home,” featuring appearances by some of Seattle’s finest. Even Sir Mix-A-Lot and Nate Burleson make brief appearances. “Damn it feels good to talk about home….”

]]>http://www.boxcarflow.com/home-jake-one-feat-vitamin-d-note-maneak-and-ish/feed/0Lyrics2Go: Cam’Ron – “Killa Cam”http://www.boxcarflow.com/lyrics2go-cam-ron-killa-cam/
http://www.boxcarflow.com/lyrics2go-cam-ron-killa-cam/#commentsWed, 26 Jun 2013 21:22:27 +0000Schmidtyhttp://www.boxcarflow.com/?p=5131This edition of Lyrics2Go is dedicated to Harlem’s Cam’Ron. Never been a diehard fan of his, but “Killa Cam” is a beast both lyrically and musically. Verse 1 With the goons I spy, stay in tune . . .

This edition of Lyrics2Go is dedicated to Harlem’s Cam’Ron. Never been a diehard fan of his, but “Killa Cam” is a beast both lyrically and musically.

Verse 1
With the goons I spy, stay in tune with ma
She like “Damn, this the realest since kumbaya”
Boom-ba-yay, Killa Cam my Lord (my Lord)
Still the man with the pan, Skrilla fam on board
Now bitches they wanna neuter me
Niggaz they wanna tutor me
The hooligans and hoola-hans, manouverin’s nothin’ new to me
Doggie I’m from the land of grime
Pan pan, gram or dime
Not “toes” or “MC,” when I say “Hammer Time”
Beef, I handle mine, when I get my hands on nines
If I have on ‘Bama line, corduroys, Cam will shine
Canary burgundy, I call it lemon red
Yellow diamonds in my ear, call ‘em lemon heads
Lemon head, end up dead
Ice like Winnepeg
Gemstone, Flintstones, you could say I’m friends with Fred
You unhappy Scrappy?
I got patacky at me
Bitches say I’m tacky daddy
Range look like Laffy Taffy

Verse 2
Yo, I from where Nicky Barnes got rich as fuck
Rich and Nay hit the kitchen, then we’re pitchin’ up
Rob Base, Mase, Doug E. Fresh switched it up
I’d do both, who am I to fuck tradition up?
So I parked in a tow away zone, chrome
I don’t care, that car throw away homes
Welcome to Harlem, where you welcome to problems
Off of Furlo, fella fellas get parkings
Them niggaz newbie bang
Stood out like pootie-tang
Soon as the stoolie sings
That’s when the toolie sing . .
Bang, Bang
Came from that movie Ring
Snap, crack, jewelry bling
Flap-jack, who’d he bring?
Clack, clack, Coolie ring
Bad rap, cuties cling
Ass capped, put him in the river
I’m the sushi king
And I’m gonna keep it fresh
Let the fish eat ya flesh
Yes sir, please confess
Just say, “He’s the best”
Sing…

Verse 3
Yo
How dope is this?
Teach you how to rope a chick
What you want Coke or Piff?
Got it all, smoke or sniff?
And you know my drift
Used to figures, dough and shit
You a rooster nigga, this a roaster bitch
And I a roast your bitch
That’s how I usually am
Tell her and her groupie friends
Go get their cootchie cleansed
We the moody of Gucci, Louie and Pootchy-men
A skadda pradda, the chopper it got the uzi lense
Birds eye view, the birds I knew
Flip birds, bird gangs
It was birds I flew
And, word I blew off herb I grew
I would, serve off stoops
Now swerve in coups, it’s me

]]>http://www.boxcarflow.com/b80-friends-graffiti-production-wall-video/feed/0Jackin4Beats: Jay-Z x Big Boihttp://www.boxcarflow.com/jackin4beats-jay-z-x-big-boi/
http://www.boxcarflow.com/jackin4beats-jay-z-x-big-boi/#commentsMon, 24 Sep 2012 02:10:03 +0000Schmidtyhttp://www.boxcarflow.com/?p=4071I first remember hearing this sample back in 2000, when Kanye West used it on “This Can’t Be Life” from Jay-Z’s The Dynasty: Roc La Familia. I recognized the beat from one of my favorite . . .

]]>I first remember hearing this sample back in 2000, when Kanye West used it on “This Can’t Be Life” from Jay-Z’s The Dynasty: Roc La Familia. I recognized the beat from one of my favorite soundtracks, Dead Presidents.

The sample resurfaced again in 2010 when Big Boi and DJ Cutmaster Swiff sped it up on the hit single, “Shine Blockas” off of Sir Lucious Left: Son of Chico Dusty.

]]>http://www.boxcarflow.com/jackin4beats-jay-z-x-big-boi/feed/0Ghostface To Release New Albumhttp://www.boxcarflow.com/ghostface-to-release-new-album/
http://www.boxcarflow.com/ghostface-to-release-new-album/#commentsFri, 14 Sep 2012 04:48:11 +0000Schmidtyhttp://www.boxcarflow.com/?p=5085It was recently announced that Ghostface Killah will be dropping a new album on November 20th through Rza’s Soul Temple Records imprint. The album will be titled Twelve Reasons To Die and it will be . . .

It was recently announced that Ghostface Killah will be dropping a new album on November 20th through Rza’s Soul Temple Records imprint. The album will be titled Twelve Reasons To Die and it will be a collaborative effort with composer/producer extraordinaire Adrian Younge (Black Dynamite, Something About April). Rza will serve as the executive producer. In addition, a Twelve Reasons To Die comic book from Black Mask Studios will coincide with the album and launch in December.

Earlier this year, Detroit producer House Shoes (Elzhi, Guilty Simpson, Proof) released his debut album Let It Go. Here’s the animated video for his collaboration with Danny Brown called “Sweet.” I gotta say, this is Danny Brown at his finest. Ferocious. Let’s hope there are more collaborations between these two in the future.

]]>http://www.boxcarflow.com/house-of-shoes-x-danny-brown-sweet-video/feed/0Death Grips: “@deathgripz”http://www.boxcarflow.com/death-grips-deathgripz/
http://www.boxcarflow.com/death-grips-deathgripz/#commentsThu, 13 Sep 2012 16:01:15 +0000Schmidtyhttp://www.boxcarflow.com/?p=5053Sacramento’s Death Grips continue to ride their noisy wave of success with, believe it or not, a throwaway track named after their twitter account. “@deathgrips” was originally recorded during the Money Store sessions but did . . .

Sacramento’s Death Grips continue to ride their noisy wave of success with, believe it or not, a throwaway track named after their twitter account. “@deathgrips” was originally recorded during the Money Store sessions but did not make the final cut. It ultimately ended up in the 2012 Adult Swim Singles Series. Blending elements of their neo new-wave sound with Stefan Burnett’s unintelligble yet dark and captivating lyrics, “@deathgripz” is a fun time in the same vein as “I’ve Seen Footage.” Picture a drunk RZA gettin’ down to M.I.A. and Santogold.